Shepparton Gators have secured third spot on the Big V division one ladder, and a home final, following a thrilling come-from-behind victory over RMIT at Bundoora Sports Centre on Saturday night.
Trailing for the entirety of the first three quarters, and finding themselves eight points down at the final change, the Gators came to life in the final term, outscoring the Redbacks by 11 to secure the vital 90-87 triumph.
US import Garrett Jefferson was the star of the night for the visiting Gators, taking over on the offensive end to finish with a game-high 31 points, which included 20 in the final term as Shepparton mounted its comeback.
This came after Redbacks star Stephen Coffey stamped his authority on the match in the first three quarters, scoring 23 points as he tried to keep his side’s dream of a top-four finish alive.
An incredibly important win in the context of the Gators’ season, coach Josh Waight was full of praise for the way his side responded to a major challenge on the road.
“I was so proud of the group after the win, they were so resilient throughout the game and just didn’t give up,” Waight said.
“To RMIT’s credit they were really tough and forced us out of a lot of the stuff we wanted to get into.
“We made some key adjustments at half time around our defence and the group responded really well and got back in the game.
“But at the end of the day the boys just hung tough and found a way to win, which shows the great character and fight we’ve got within our group at the moment.”
Having struggled on the offensive end through the first three quarters, Waight explained what turned in that final quarter to tip the scales to the Gators’ favour.
“It (that last quarter) was back and forth with both teams hitting some really big shots,” he said.
“We did a really good job at locking in on the defensive and forcing them into tough shots and making sure we didn’t give up second chance opportunities like we did in the first half.
“And then on the offensive end we just managed to find a bit of rhythm that we lacked in the early stages and made the shots we needed to make in those tense final minutes.”
Pivotal in engineering the comeback, Waight was full of praise for Jefferson’s performance, as he showed his class and experience to take over the game in those decisive final minutes.
“Garrett did a really good job all night, defensively he played a vital role in limiting Stephen Coffey and forcing him into tough shots which I think then played into his offence,” he said.
“He was able to find his spots and make some massive shots for us at the right time, he really took ownership in that last quarter and got it done which was really pleasing.”
Shepparton also had an outstanding contribution from its bench, with Nick Dodd adding a crucial 13 points to support the incredible offensive play of Jefferson.
“Nick was excellent all night, doing exactly what we asked and making some really big buckets,” Waight said.
“And our guards as well in Tom Frame and Jordan Michel did a great job, with their defensive work especially proving critical for us.”
With a home final now locked in, Waight said the intensity of this contest served as fantastic post-season preparation.
“It was a really important win for us to lock away third spot and give our supporters another chance to come and cheer us on,” he said.
“We know that RMIT are a finals team, so it was a great chance for the group to experience that high level of basketball before the season is finished.
“So to come away with the win away from home, it was a great result.”